100th US Open Cup officially kicks off tonight

It's that time of year again. Perhaps one of the most anticipated tournaments in US soccer kicks off tonight, with 17 first - round games across the country featuring 36 lower division clubs battling to advance to the second round of the 100 year old competition.

The entire 2013 tournament features 68 teams as opposed to last year's 64, marking the largest field in the modern era (1995-present). 2013 also marks the second-consecutive year in which all U.S. based Division I, II and III teams will participate: 16 from Major League Soccer, six from the North American Soccer League (NASL) and 12 from USL PRO.

The amount of prize money has increased as well, with the overall champion earning a total of $250,000, a 150,000 increase from $100,000 in recent, previous years. The runner-up will receive $60,000 (up from $50,000) and the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will win $15,000 (up from $10,000).

From US Soccer: "Another significant change for 2013 is the process for determining the site for the Open Cup tournament semifinals and final. In past years, the sites for the final three matches of the tournament had been determined through a sealed-bid process, but this year the hosts of those games will be determined by a coin flip. Home teams throughout the entire tournament will be determined by random selection."

Beyond the Division I, II, and III teams, the remaining 34 spots in the tournament field will be filled by amateur teams from the Adult Council category. There will be 16 from the Premier Development League, eight from U.S. Adult Soccer Association regional qualifying, eight from the National Premier Soccer League, one from US Club Soccer and one from the United States Specialty Sports Association.

Fans can follow every single game on Twitter (@USOpenCup). The Twitter hashtag for the tournament this year is #USOC100.